Large screen display (xe2x80x9cLSDxe2x80x9d) technology enables the dynamic display of interactive and non-interactive content to large audiences. Applications of LSD technology are diverse and include public venues such as sports stadia, airports, and shopping malls. The wide range of applications drives a large and diverse market.
With the development and deployment of LSD technology comes the opportunity for further refinement and improvement of the apparatus and business methods that support the technology. Significant enhancements made to state-of-the-art LSD apparatus and business methods will likely generate a substantial increase in market share.
In an electro-optical LSD system having multiple modular optical fiber display tiles connected to a single micro-display, maintenance of the system becomes an issue. In particular, if one of the modular optical fiber display tiles becomes damaged, all modular optical fiber display tiles connected to the same micro-display must be replaced. Thus, there is a need for a way to connect multiple modular optical fiber display tiles to a single micro-display such that the modular optical fiber display tiles are individually replaceable.
The reliability of an electro-optical LSD system having a particular number of micro-display driven modular optical fiber display tiles is a function of the total number of micro-displays used. As the total number of micro-displays increases, system reliability decreases. For a given number of modular optical fiber display tiles, using a single micro-display to drive multiple modular optical fiber display tiles would therefore increase system reliability. Thus, there is also a need for a way to increase the reliability of an electro-optical LSD system having micro-display driven modular optical fiber display tiles.
Electro-optical LSD systems having micro-display driven modular optical fiber display tiles may suffer from non-uniform color balance across the LSD surface. This results from non-uniform color balance between modular optical fiber display tiles, which is in turn a result of non-uniform color temperatures among the light sources, which provide illumination to the micro-displays, which drive the modular optical fiber display tiles. Thus, there is a need for a way to assure uniform color balance across substantially all or all modular optical fiber display tiles in an electro-optical LSD system.
The current technology also does not provide a means for contouring an LSD surface comprised of multiple modular display tiles driven from a single micro-display. Thus, there is also a need for a way to provide a means for contouring an LSD surface comprised of multiple modular display tiles driven from a single micro-display.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invention features a multiple optical fiber display tile module for use in an LSD system. The multiple optical fiber display tile module includes at least two modular optical fiber display tiles. Each modular display tile further includes an optical fiber display tile, an optical fiber array, and an input matrix. The modular display tile also includes a mounting frame for demountably attaching the input matrix of each modular optical fiber display tile to a single micro-display.
In accordance with another embodiment, the invention features a micro-lens array interposed between the micro-display and each input matrix.
In accordance with another embodiment, the invention features an illumination source attached to and illuminating the micro-display.